Ethereal Bonds
by OnyxAngel3
Summary: Sequel to Apocalypse! One year after the near destruction of Earth, Jin, Julia, Jaez and everyone else have put their lives back together. However, the seemingly sudden appearance of an enigmatic menace threatens to dismantle their hard-won tranquility.
1. Icy Reception

A/N: Omgosh……it's been like 5 months since I put up the last chapter of my first fanfic! O.O

It's about time I got started on the sequel to _Apocalypse_ :D

Well…here it is! I'm still not entirely sure in which direction I'm going with this or if I'll keep the title but I suppose that time will tell :]]]

p.s. Tekken Characters belong to: Namco Bandai! Not me :/

_**Ethereal Bonds**_

By: OnyxAngel3

**1: Icy Reception**

_Whoosh. _The frigid wind swept fluffy white snow around to form miniscule cyclones in the dark alley between the warehouses. A distant streetlight effused a dim light creating jagged shadows at the far end of the massive buildings. In the direction opposite the waning light was an empty lot that led up to the concrete wall that dipped down into the semi-frozen bay. At the edge of that thigh-high wall was a dark-haired figure that sat as if contemplating the curious icy slivers of frozen beauty that drifted in the cold water.

"I thought I might find you here," said a voice from a few feet behind.

The figure looked over her shoulder and lay her dark brown eyes upon the man who had arrived without seeming to make so much as a sound. She blinked a few times in surprise.

"Wow. I didn't even hear you walk up."

He smirked and took a few more steps forward, his boots making a clearly audible crunch as he stepped across the frozen ice, "I guess that means your mind is off on some other continent or something because the last time I checked I was no ninja."

The woman shook her head and pulled her fur-lined leather jacket more closely around her. Turning her sight back to the water of the bay, she smiled slightly.

"What are you doing here, Jin?" she said, "I was under the impression that you'd be off at home babysitting."

Jin laughed, "Yeah well, I decided to come find my renegade sister since it seems she has decided to disappear again." He sat on the wall and swung his legs over the edge so that he too could take a look at the sluggishly moving water.

"Is that so?"

"Yup."

"Have you found her?"

"Well it seems that I have found her body but I don't know if her mind is in there too," he gave a small grin as her glanced at her. The woman turned to him with a sour look on her face.

"Har. Har." she mocked a laugh and turned back to the water.

Jin chuckled, "Sheesh Jaez, lighten up. I'm just trying to state the fact that _you_ of all people didn't hear me sneak up on you. You _always_ hear me. Even if I _try _to be stealthy."

Jaez couldn't help but smile, "That is very true."

"So. What are you doing out here on the edge of this concrete wall freezing your butt off? Freezing it off quite literally I might add. Wouldn't you much rather like to be at home sitting in front of a crackling fire while drinking hot chocolate or something?" Jin looked at Jaez.

She let out a few chuckles, "And also become your sons' favorite plush toy? Thanks but no thanks. I use up all of my energy trying to convince those two to let go of me when I _am_ home. I still don't see why they find me so fascinating that they want to spend all day with me." Jaez gave her brother a wry look.

Jin could do nothing to keep the grin from appearing on his face, "Well. I don't know either but it makes my job as a dad a whole lot easier. The twins are a handful and getting someone else to look after them makes my life, and not to mention Julia's, a little easier."

"Yeah, Yeah. So you get your unsuspecting sister to be babysitter while you go off and enjoy life?"

"Of course."

"Very funny."

Suddenly there was the sound of numerous feet crossing the ice-crusted lot. Jin and Jaez stopped talking and turned to look behind them. At least a dozen men were lined up side by side. Each one of them seemed to have some sort of weapon concealed behind their jackets since there was a slight bulge at their sides.

Jin whispered to Jaez, "Do you know these guys?"

Jaez whispered back, "Not at all. You?"

He shook his head and looked back at the line of men. They were all wearing hoods, making it impossible to look at their faces from their position. They stopped about fifteen feet away from them and then one of the men in the center stepped forward.

"Jan-Izumi Kazama-Mishima?" he said in a deep voice.

"Yeah?" Jaez said bluntly. At the same time, she and Jin swung their legs back over the ledge and stood up. The man took a step back as they did so. The frosty wind picked up; Jaez' pin-straight, elbow-length jet-black hair whipped around and Jin's leather trench coat and bangs did the same. A few of the men glanced at each other quickly before making a motion to reach for whatever it was they were hiding underneath their coats. The siblings frowned at the men.

"What do you want?" Jin said starkly.

The man who had stepped up looked at Jaez and spoke again, "I'm here to deliver a message."

"Really? I never would've thought that," Jaez responded; her voice laced with sarcasm. The man tightened his fists at her careless jibe and continued.

"You are to stay away from the NorthHouse. We've given you plenty of warning and this is your last. The next time you are spotted anywhere near it, you _will_ be shot down."

Upon saying this he took several steps back, until he was lined up with the rest of his companions. Jin gazed onward at them with a slight look of confusion on his face. Jaez, however, glared at them with fierce eyes and a hard scowl. After putting several yards between themselves and the Kazama twins the men made a quick departure.

"So. You don't know them, eh?" Jin remarked while crossing his arms. Jaez said nothing and continued to look in the direction the men had taken off. "Who were they Jan-Izumi? And what's the NorthHouse?"

"Something you don't need to know," Jaez quipped. She turned her back to him and looked back out over the inky black water of the bay. Jin was about to ask again, but knowing his sister, he knew that she wouldn't say another word on the subject. He would have to get it out of her some other time.

"Fine. Don't tell me. If you have issues with these guys I guess it's not my problem but don't go get yourself killed. I don't want to have to bring you back. Now, could I somehow convince you to come back home?" Jin once again questioned.

Jaez continued to stare out into the open bay for several moments before answering, "Not now." Jin shook his head in defeat and turned to leave. He walked several feet before glancing back.

_What are you hiding Jaez. Lately you've been rather distant. Not just with me, but with everyone. Why can't you tell me what's bothering you?_

* * *

a/n: Well there it is! The first chappy! Let me know what you thought of it! :D


	2. Psyche

A/N: Ladies and Gentlemen…the next chapter of my new fic!

I know it was a bit of a wait but I'm kinda busy right now, I'll do my best to get in at least 1 chapter a week

Disclaimer: Tekken = Namco Bandai

**2: Psyche**

"Did you personally deliver the message as I asked?"

"Yes sir," the hooded man said with a low-bowed head.

"And you had no trouble?"

"No sir, except…," the man faltered.

"Except… what?" came the reply.

"Well…" he hesitated. He had never found it easy to speak to his superior. The sinister man always seemed to have a dark and unsettling air about him. It was well known that he did not appreciate failure in any way and the hooded man could not help but begin to tremble.

"What happened Vincent?" It was clear that he was growing impatient.

"Well, sir. Her brother was with her…sir," the man braced himself for the harsh onslaught words that would most likely follow.

However, his superior did not reprimand him with bitter accusations and instead opted to not say a word. That fact alone made the hooded man even more nervous; it was not like his superior. He braved a quick look up and saw that the seated man's fist was clenched tightly on the armrest of the chair. The skin stretched so tightly that it had turned a pale white.

"S-sir?" he said with a slight stutter.

"I thought I had said to give _her_ the message," the superior said in a biting tone.

"I-I did, sir"

"I was under the impression that you had been told to follow my instructions to the letter."

"I was."

"So why did you tell her, while her brother was present?" Vincent looked up again, completely disconcerted by the low menacing voice.

"I-I didn't think that…" he was suddenly cut off by a now-enraged voice. He flinched visibly.

"Think?!" the once seated man was now towering over his underling "You are not supposed to _think_! There is absolutely no need to. You follow orders! That is you job! Nothing else! _She _was the only one who was supposed to receive the warning!" he spat.

"But sir…what could be the harm? She would've likely told him anyway. After last year's incidents with the demons, the Mishimas have been closer than ever imagined. There is no longer discord among them and they all have joint possession of every asset they own or control," Vincent attempted to reason with the large man in front of him.

"That may be so, but this is a matter that I _know_she would not go running off to tell," he seethed. "You have proven to be derisory member of my operation and you _will_ be punished."

The man's eyes opened wide and he was taken aback. He had always heard stories of the people who had gotten on the boss' bad side and none of them were very pretty. They said that he would send them out to the training arena and have the Soul Takers use them for target practice. Others said that, depending on if the boss' mood was sour, he would call out one of his most feared bodyguards to deal with the weak links. Vincent bit his lower lip and hoped that it would not be the latter. He would much rather deal with the Soul Takers than deal with…

"Bring me Psyche!" he bellowed to his nearest guard. Vincent felt his heart skip a beat then begin to hammer in his chest; his breathing became shallow and quite indicative of fear. The door behind him opened and then closed as the guard left the room. He stood there for several deafeningly silent moments. Suddenly the door opened once again and Vincent involuntarily jumped. He heard the loud thuds of the guards footsteps followed by a much lighter clicking of boots. The steps halted and a small, childish voice spoke up.

"You called for me, sir?"

The child-like voice took Vincent by complete surprise and he instantly whirled around. As he laid eyes for the first time upon Psyche, the color drained from his face. Standing before him was a small girl who couldn't be more than eight years old. She was a few inches under four and a half feet and had shoulder-blade length reddish-brown hair. As Vincent continued to gape at the girl, he noticed the odd intensity of her silvery eyes. They possessed a level of focus and intellect that he deemed fit only for adults.

"Yes Psyche. Come here please."

The girl walked up to her superior while tightening the belt of her navy jacket.

"Yes sir?"

"Psyche, I would like you to meet Vincent. Up until last night he had proved to be a reasonably reliable subject, but not anymore. Last night, he risked the complete stability and secrecy of our covert operations by not following directions as expected of him."

The girl looked to Vincent and frowned slightly. "And you would like me to punish him sir?"

"Yes.""Any punishment in particular?"

"Do as you see fit Psyche," the man said while giving Vincent a deathly glare.

"Yes Sir," Psyche turned sideways and made a gesture in the direction of the door, "This way Vincent."

Vincent was now visibly trembling. A light sheen of sweat was coating his forehead and his mouth was slightly agape. With heavy feet he walked out of the large room and headed out to receive the penalty for his fatal error.

-----------

a/n: and so the mystery behind one of the characters begins to intrigue us all…

:] …well…review!review!


	3. Full House

Disclaimer: Tekken = Bandai Namco

**3: Full House**

"Let's see…Is _this_ the place?" A young woman asked herself as she sat in her car, looking at a piece of paper with an address on it. She looked out to the matte-black numbers that were attached to the large brick column that marked the entrance to the driveway of the home she was stopped in front of. "364...That's the one!"

She smiled and put her car in drive so that she could pull into the driveway. After parking in the empty space in front of the garage, she turned her engine off and walked out. The young woman opened the trunk of her small sports car and pulled out several bags. Placing them on the ground, she shut the door and glanced up at the two story building.

"Wow. They've got a gorgeous house," she stated as she stared at the arctic white home that had windows adorned with dark blue shutters. The yard was impeccable and the front porch had a rather elegant but simple look with pots of small but very aromatic flowers. "I hope there's someone home. I don't see a car in the driveway," she laughed, "Hmmm, then again, maybe they're oddballs and actually use their garage to park the cars in instead of using it as a storage unit like everyone else."

She picked up the bags and walked up the small pathway to the front door. Setting down the bags in her right hand, she reached for the door bell and pushed the small button. From inside she heard movement and within the minute the lock on the door was undone and the door swung open.

"Verity!" The woman who opened the door gasped. Her golden-brown eyes opened wide.

"Jules!" Verity said back with a wide smile. She set down the other bags and the two good friends embraced each other.

"Verity! Oh my gosh! I thought you were flying in next week!" Julia said with astonishment as they separated.

"I was, but my flight was cancelled for some reason, I forget what it was exactly, and instead the airport asked if I would be willing to come in on the next flight free of charge," she grinned, "and I said why not? If I could save myself the fortune it takes to get to Tokyo why would I deny the offer?"

Julia smiled, "But why didn't you call? I could've sent someone to pick you up from the airport and fixed up one of the spare bedrooms for you!"

Verity laughed, "I was going to but I decided to surprise you instead. For a second there I was worried though. There were no cars in the driveway and I was afraid I would come knocking and there'd be no one here."

Julia laughed along with Verity, "Verity. The garage has a purpose: to keep the cars. And that's why the driveway is empty."

"Yeah, I figured that much. Guess you guys are the strange ones since it seems that everyone else keeps their cars _out_ of the garage."

"That's only because they have nowhere else to put extra vehicles," Julia smiled, "And why are we talking about why my driveway is vacant? Come in already!"

Verity grabbed the bags off the porch and handed them to Julia, "Here, I brought you guys some gifts."

Julia reached for the bags, "Oh! Thank you Ver. Come on in," she moved away from the doorway, "Make yourself at home. Do you want anything to eat or drink?"

"Nah, I'm good. I had something to eat at the airport right before coming here," Verity said as she walked into the living room. "Holy…sheesh Jules! This is one hell of a house! You weren't lying when you said it was big!" She did a complete 360-degree turn as she took in the inside of Julia's home. Her jaw dropped as she saw how elegant yet simple all of the furnishings seemed.

"Yeah well…" she laughed at Verity's astonished expression.

"How many rooms are there?" Verity walked up to the staircase and glanced upstairs.

"Seven total," Julia said sheepishly while Verity turned to her slowly, "Five upstairs and two down here."

"Seven?" she said in disbelief, "I thought the whole reason you guys moved out of the mansion was because it was _too big_. And now you've gone and moved into a slightly smaller big-house."

"Guess so," Julia chuckled. After a few moments spent admiring Julia's house, Verity turned around to face her once again.

"Hey. Where're your kids?" Verity had noticed that it seemed awfully quiet for there to be a pair of one-year-old twins in the house.

"They're taking their nap right now," Julia answered with a pleasant smile.

"Damn. I guess that means I can't see them, eh?" she said in disappointment.

"You can see them if you want. They just won't be awake to see _you._"

"Hmm. I think I'll wait till they wake up," Verity looked up at Julia. "Well. Since you've got so many freaking rooms do you mind if I take my pick of them?"

"Not at all. Do you want upstairs or down?" Julia couldn't resist but letting out the bout of laughter that her best friend always seemed to provoke.

"Upstairs of course!"

"Right this way, ma'am," Julia waved her hand out to motion Verity to head upstairs. "Just try to keep quiet so the boys don't wake up. The last thing I need is for both of them to get all fussy."

The two women couldn't help but laugh as quietly as possible as they ascended the staircase and headed upstairs.

* * *

a/n: Woohoo! Verity returns to Japan for a visit!

I hope it doesn't seem as if I'm going too slow with the story. I'll do my best to keep up the 1-chapter-a-week plan. Review!


	4. NorthHouse

a/n: whew! About time I came out with another chapter! Sorry I didn't update as soon as I wanted to; it just didn't work out that way. It looks like I'll have to get rid of any scheduling and just update when I get the chance. Enough said! and, with no further ado, chapter four!

Disclaimer: Tekken isn't mine

**Chapter 4: NorthHouse**

"i was under the impression that you had been told to stay away from this place, my dear," whispered a faint voice through the chilly night air.

"I was."

"then what are you doing here?"

"I'm not done with this place. Not just yet," came the icy response.

"not done?"

"No. This place harbors the memories that I had wished would vanish with time, but haven't. I will make sure this place and all of its operations are shut down."

"are you sure that is all?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

"well. if you had decided to destroy this place and everything that it stands for, you would have already done it.""What is that supposed to mean?"

"you lack a certain sense of conviction, my dear… you have the power to completely annihilate this facility, either through the use of your military personnel or your own two hands. and yet, you are still just up here. observing…" the voice deducted.

"Am I not allowed to observe if I feel like it?" she responded bitterly.

"oh no, of course you are, but it is just that i feel as if you are here for another reason. one much more powerful than one of mere revenge."

"And if I am?"

"jan-izumi, you can not lie to me very easily. i know you too well for that. you are here for _her_…are you not?"

Several moments passed before she responded.

"I can't just go on through life without knowing what happened," her voice held a slight tone of melancholy.

"i imagine you can not"

Jaez groaned, "I want to find her but…" she trailed off.

"but what?"

"These people are very secretive. They will never let go of any information regarding her, and it is not as simple as trying to hack into their computer systems. They keep little to no information regarding their 'employees' on their servers."

"what makes you believe that she would be an _employee. i _hardly see her fit for one."

"Have you forgotten the life they laid out for _me._ What makes you believe that they would make an exception for her?"

"nothing at all"

Jaez sighed and sat down on the branch of the tree she had been perched on. The sudden shift in weight caused the precariously balanced snow to cascade toward the ground. She wrapped her jacket around her body more tightly and leaned her head against the tree trunk. Off in the distance, a menagerie of glittering lights revealed a large assembly of buildings hidden amongst the jagged crooks of the mountain's base.

"Death?" Jaez said as a sudden thought struck her.

"yes," came the soft reply.

"What are _you _doing here?" she turned her head to the silvery-black shadow beside her.

"what am _i _doing here?"

"Yes. You," she looked at him with a bit of a puzzled look, "Somehow I seriously doubt that you're here just to keep me company."

Death gave a slight chuckle, "i am here to do my job of course. but aside from that i was fortunate enough to run into you here"

"Your job. Duh." Jaez shook her head with a slight smile, "So who's the unlucky person?"

"a man. by the name of vincent i believe."

"Is that so?"

"yes."

"So what did this guy do?"

"i am not entirely sure, but i think he greatly displeased his master."

"And just because he didn't do his job right he's was sent to be killed?" Jaez scoffed, "How typical. Things don't change much around here do they?"

"it does not seem as if they do."

"I don't suppose you know _how _this guy lost his life?" Jaez said, her curiosity was now morbidly piqued.

"he was sent to be punished by one of the most trusted guards. a child actually. how sad, don't you think? to be frightened of a mere… _child_?"

"A kid?" Jaez' disapproval had become fury. Her jaw clenched and her hands formed fists at her side. She turned angrily to the facility out in the distance.

"yes. and a rather curious child, at that. i have been here before to dispatch a good number of souls that she effortlessly ran down," the specter shifted until it seemed to be looking at Jaez. "she reminds me an awful lot of you when you were 'working' with these individuals."

"No," Jaez shook her head, "That's not possible. No one could be like me."

"that is not true, my dear. this girl is most definitely like you. although i have to admit that she does not possess the same ability you do, she is most certainly endowed with a powerful gift."

Jaez turned to her companion, "What kind of gift?"

"i believe she is a telepath. she possesses the innate ability to read the mind of any individual she chooses."

"So. If I were to try to get anywhere near that place with thoughts to destroy it, she would know?" Jaez' face turned sour.

"no."

"No? But you just said that she can read minds"

"i said that she can read the mind of any individual she chooses," he repeated, "she must _choose _the mind. if she does not know that it is there, how can she read it?"

"Wait. So her ability is selective?"

"did I not just say that?" he said quietly.

Jaez frowned before speaking again, "So I should find a way to keep this kid out of my way before going in, huh?"

"i suppose. but i must warn you: this girl is immensely cognitive for her age. she has the reasoning of any adult and is extremely skilled in various arts of combat. like i said before, she reminds me of you."

Jaez stood up on the thick tree branch again, "I guess that means I have the upper hand then."

"upper hand?"

"Yeah. If she's anything like me, I'll know what to expect from her." She jumped down and somersaulted once before landing on her feet in the snow.

"you are headed to the northhouse" the shadow followed her as she began to walk toward the lights in the distance.

"Yes. I'm going to check out this kid, and see what she can really do." she looked back at Death as she walked, "I don't suppose you've ever caught this kid's name have you?"

"i do not have knowledge as to her birth name, but i do know what they call her."

Jaez looked onward disapprovingly, "Nicknames. Ugh. So, what do they call this extremely-knowledgeable-mind-reading-kid?"

"psyche."

Jaez continued to walk forward through the snow with an air of determination and ire.

"Well Psyche. I know why they call you that, but I really don't think you'll know why they call _me _Reaper. If you really are as bright as Death says you are then it'll be harder to make sure you get out of my way, but don't think for a second that it will stop me. I'm not going to leave without getting what I came for. And neither you, nor anyone else will become obstacles in my pursuit.

A few miles away, in one of the buildings of the facility, Psyche was startled out of her meditation. Her silver eyes revealed her inner confusion. She was surprised by the sudden feeling she had. It was a sensation she had never before experienced.

_Someone is … coming?_

* * *

_a/n: _The next few chapters will be Jaez-centric but I hope you don't mind. And in the meantime: tell me what you thought of this chapter!


	5. Death Games

a/n: Wow…I sure took my sweet time updating x.x sorry guys! I've had a pretty bad case of dreaded writer's block.

Disclaimer: Tekken belongs solely to Bandai Namco Games!

**Chapter 5: Death Games**

Perched once again atop the high limbs of an enormous tree, Jaez looked below to the establishment before her. The silvery moonlight cast countless ragged shadows and gave everything a brighter hue. Reflecting the pale light of the sky, the snow glittered and formed an undisturbed blanket that enveloped all of the buildings. Atop several of these generally two-story structures were several men. They all sat silently, waiting for the next shift of guards to come relieve them of their duties out in the bitter cold. No one had ever discovered their location and so they showed no signs of worry. No one had ever broken in, and only one person had ever broken out; pretty good odds for such an unconventional organization.

Jaez studied the men closely and saw that they were all armed with high-caliber pistols, and a good number of lucky ones had semi-automatic rifles. She frowned. They had never had such security around here before. When she had resided here most of the night guard had simpler weapons, namely swords and the like. They had taught the use of all weapons, modern weaponry included, but they had been an assassination sect that favored the olden-day arms; but now it seemed as if they had gone through a revitalization of ideals.

She sat down to form some sort of plan that would not involve the alerting of the entire facility. As she pondered her next move a thought struck her. Aside from a few unfortunate forest guards, she had seen almost no one in the surrounding area. There was something wrong here. In the past, when she had come "visiting," several sentries had always seemed to catch sight of her. But now, there was little opposition.

"Death?" she whispered; hoping that he was still around.

"yes, my dear," came the spectral response.

"I don't suppose you know why everyone seems to have gone AWOL?" her eyes glanced around for signs of an ambush.

"it is going to be a busy night," he said rather half-heartedly.

"What?"

"it seems the soul takers have chosen tonight as the night for their…. games…"

"Games?"

"it has been tradition out here for several years now. they pick individuals from the lower ranks that have proven to be rather ineffective, and then play death games. usually the people are used in trials of archery… i assume that the sentinels meant to watch the forest have decided that they will instead enjoy the bloody games…"

"Games?" Jaez repeated in disbelief, "They've really digressed out here; I don't remember games like that being considered tradition." She huffed, "I feel like I'm in Roman times waiting for the gladiators to duke it out."

"they began their new event after you left, so naturally you don't know what it is like."

"Well then enlighten me old friend," she continued to observe the half-frozen individuals patrolling the roofs.

"it is a rather simple affair. i could tell you all about it, but then what fun would that be? perhaps you should go take a look for yourself."

Jaez thought about it for a few moments. The guards were not really paying much attention, so she figured it would not be too hard to infiltrate the inner buildings. She nodded once and she felt the shadowy being leave. After another look around, she decided to sneak in through one of the buildings so that the sentries wouldn't notice her darting from shadow to shadow.

From her vantage point she noticed that an outward looking window had been left partially open. She found it rather odd, but decided to take opportunity from it. Jaez quickly jumped from the branch she was on and landed on the branch of tree a few yards away. In this fashion she made her way to the window and landed silently on the frosty exterior windowsill while taking hold of the iron bar that was place horizontally above it. With the toe of her boot she slowly pushed the window open all of the way and swung herself in.

The cold room was nearly empty; only a few rickety, half-broken chairs were lying abandoned in the corner. The snow had found itself pushed inside by the icy winds and now coated most of the room in a silvery sheen. Jaez frowned and looked down at her feet. Her boots had left clear imprints in the ice.

_Great. Now I just hope that this room doesn't get much attention, at least for tonight. _

Deciding not give it much thought, Jaez made her way to the door and stealthily snuck into the compound.

***

The arena was larger than she remembered it but it still held that same aura of malice and the iron smell of blood was in the air.

Jaez settled down in the rafters of the enormous building and looked down at the madness. On the left side of the oval-shaped arena were several people, all lined up and with powerful compound bows strung across their backs. On the right side, were about a dozen kids, barely teenagers. They all wore the same masks of confusion and disbelief of their faces. Each one held a Japanese-style sword that was clearly too large for them and light armor protected their bodies.

Jaez shook her head in disgust as the archers prepped their bows and pulled back the strings. Before she could see the outcome of the children's fates, she looked away and jumped down from the rafters. There was nothing she could do for them; if she revealed herself she would lose all chances of finding what she sought. The end results would no doubt be grisly and the law of survival-of-the-fittest would reign freely here, unhindered by any feelings of remorse. Those that survived would be able to keep their positions as well as their lives; they will have proven that they were strong and would never again be contested.

Before her heart could betray her by forcing her to jump into the arena herself, Jaez dashed out of the building and headed for the main structure in the center of the compound. The hallways were empty and she found it with relative ease. She gave up on being stealthy and simply walked down the empty corridors.

Memories began flooding back as she lay eyes upon the deserted passages that lead to the chambers of the doyenne. She could see herself as a child, wandering the compound idly while she pondered upon the purpose of her life in this solitary mountain crag. Suddenly Jaez heard a sound and snapped out of her past.

In front of her stood a small girl with silver eyes and reddish hair. Jaez stopped and narrowed her eyes. _Guess this place isn't empty after all - _she thought in annoyance.

"No. It's not," the girl said in an authoritative voice.

_She read my mind, _Jaez' eyes opened wide. A cold glint in the girl's eyes gave Jaez shivers as she realized that this was the bodyguard that was feared so much around here.

"Psyche." Jaez grimaced. _Great._


	6. Reaper vs Psyche

A/n: Phew! Wrote out another chapter! :D It's a little short but oh well ^_^

**Chapter 6: Reaper vs. Psyche**

The girl that stood before her couldn't have been more than eight years old. Her rich mahogany locks held strong hints of red and her silver eyes shone brighter than the moon that illuminated the snow outside. Jaez grit her teeth and let out a frustrated breath.

_She's just a kid! For goodness' sake, I expected some snotty, arrogant teenager! They aren't very hard to deal with since they tend to usually lack a certain sense of coordination._

"Don't expect any lack of coordination from me," the girl replied to Jaez' thoughts.

"Looks like they thought starting you guys out extra-young was a good thing," Jaez spitefully. Thinking back she realized that she had never really asked Death just how old this girl was.

"Eight." The girl said with a slight smirk.

Jaez was getting very irritated now, "Enough with the mind games," she straightened herself and continued, "Out of my way kid. You're not going to stop me."

Psyche still had that assertive grin on her pale face, "I disagree….Reaper? That's your name isn't it?"

Jaez clenched her fists, "Yeah, and what of it?"

"Nothing," Psyche said politely. "I was just thinking about how much fun this will be. I've never really had the chance to fight at my full potential but now I get to do just that. And what's even better is that I get to fight that way against a legend." She cocked her head slightly to the side and continued with her unnerving smile.

Jaez continued to glare at the girl and the more she did, the more familiar she looked. It seemed as if she had seen her before; She just couldn't pinpoint from where.

"I really don't care if I remind you of someone or not," Psyche said as she pulled of her blue jacket, "Your path ends here." With that said, the girl reached down to her side and unhooked a pair of sais from her belt. Jaez didn't even have time to think, when Psyche suddenly darted forward. Catching her off-guard, Psyche managed to slash at Jaez' arm. She spun around and swung her leg along the floor to knock Jaez down, but was surprised when her hit didn't strike its mark.

In one swift move, Jaez had not given Psyche the chance to get her again by leaping to the other side of the hallway. Psyche frowned and sped forward with blinding speed.

_She can't outrun me. _Psyche thought, _No one can outrun me. _She lunged forward only to find a wall in front of her. A quick _whoosh _told her that Jaez had jumped over her. Psyche heard Jaez' plan to send her flying with a roundhouse kick and averted the danger. Before Psyche could counterattack, she heard Jaez' next move: a quick backhand punch. This time, she barely managed to dodge.

_What? _She was stunned. _How is this possible?! _Psyche thought in alarm _She moves far too quickly! _In the attempt to throw Jaez off balance Psyche blindly kicked out. Something hard hit her leg, but it was not Jaez' midsection. Instead, she had struck Jaez' armguard and was sent flying back with a counter.

_What is this?! I can barely keep up with her, her moves are too fast. Even after reading her mind, I can't counter quick enough! _Psyche was beginning to get angry. Another attack, another miss. _Damn it!__She's too fast! _She hadn't been trained to fight against people with her same agility. All her life she had conquered all who opposed her only because they posed no exertion on her part. But this was different; she could lose this fight.

As the girl continued to lash out at her, Jaez couldn't help but continue questioning where she had seen this kid before. As much as she wanted to let go of the notion, she couldn't. Psyche struck a few more times before Jaez knocked her back again. _Why is this girl so familiar!?_

Taking note of Jaez' frustration, Psyche lunged forward again and managed to land a hit. The sai's sharpened blade cut through her side and caused Jaez' to lose balance. Not daring to strike twice Psyche jumped back and took up an offensive stance as Jaez fell down. The blades of her weapons were pointed in Jaez' direction.

Jaez got up while holding her bleeding side, and scowled, "Alright _Psyche_, I've had enough of this!"

Putting thoughts of her injury aside, she pulled off her leather trench coat and revealed the katana strapped to her back. Quickly undoing the straps, Jaez pulled the sheathed sword forward and hooked it to her belt. She put one hand around the sheath and the other hovered above the hilt. With one foot forward, she took up an offensive stance that left her prepared to slash down any attack.

_You're going down kid._


	7. Defeat

A/N: OMG! :O I haven't updated in months! I'm sorry you guys, but I haven't had much of a chance to get some good writing into my schedule. Mostly because of the fact that my brothers have been using the computer the most. It truly sucks to have a brother that has become practically addicted to an mmorpg. Lol But that will change! I've got my own laptop now so I can dish out a few more chapters without having to wait on the kid bro. XD

Here ya go! Chapter 7!

**Chapter 7: Defeat**

Not waiting to see what else the unpredictable girl could dish out, Jaez attacked first. She swung her sword horizontally with an incredible speed that left Psyche speechless as she blocked the blow. The screech of steel resonated through the corridor, and Psyche was sent crashing down onto a vase that was set up on a table along the wall. Her small body rebounded off and landed on the floor. Shards of pottery were strewn alongside her and one of her sai skittered along the marble tiles until it slowed to a stop several feet behind Psyche.

Seeing that this battle was becoming more dangerous by the second, Psyche decided to use anything that could possibly give her the advantage. Looking up from the ground she saw Jaez run at her. She quickly sprang to her feet and ran in the direction her weapon had skidded. Seeing another vase, Psyche snatched it and tossed it in Jaez' direction in the attempt to distract her. The vase was cleanly cut in half as the sword met with it midway through the air.

_Stubborn girl. _Jaez thought as she saw the prodigy sprint back to her currently useless weapon. Psyche's desperate attempt to retrieve her sai made her seem reckless. With her back to Jaez she wouldn't be able to completely predict what she would do. This was her chance to take this kid out of the picture.

Just as Psyche reached her desired object, Jaez thrust forward and the gleaming, razor-sharp tip of her blade sped out in front of her. Without a single change in composure, Psyche grasped the handle and continued to run forward to the wall that was a few feet beyond. With one small but powerful jump she stepped against the wall and used the momentum to propel herself in reverse. She narrowly avoided Jaez' deadly aim as she did a spectacular back flip over her adversary. Losing no time during her risky maneuver, Psyche pulled her zai down and sliced across the back of Jaez' neck. The cold steel cut effortlessly through both Jaez' hair and spinal cord.

In that moment, Jaez' dark eyes grew wide, as she felt control of her body slip away. Everything seemed to take on a new perspective with the sudden slowing screech of time. Every moment felt like an eternity as the world grew dim. Her favorite sword, once so perfectly attuned to the movements of her body, suddenly seemed to desert her. It scattered to the ground with a deafening steely tone. The wall that Psyche had bounded off of came towards her with a mocking resolution. Jaez felt as her nose was crushed. Her body slid against the immovable obstruction, dragging behind it a steady, dripping line of vermillion blood. By the time she reached the cold floor, Jaez had lost all feeling. The blood began to clog her throat but she could do nothing about it. With one last thought in her mind, Jaez's control of all vital functions had vanished and her fierce eyes slid shut. _Fuck it all. We're not through yet, kid. You haven't gotten rid of me._

Psyche landed on her feet and continued with a few backhand springs before she stopped. She watched as Jaez collided with the wall and fell. Without moving, she stood there for a few unbearably tense minutes. Her zai were held in front of her in a defensive position and she continued to glare at Jaez' unmoving body.

"She's dead," Psyche whispered. "She has to be." After there was no more movement, she finally gave herself the opportunity to relax. She fell to onto one knee and took several deep and nearly desperate breaths. With the back of her hand she wiped away the beads of sweat that accumulated on her face.

Within minutes, she heard the sound of clamoring footsteps racing through the obscure corridors. Several men had come around the corner and, upon seeing an exhausted Psyche and a very-dead Reaper, they skid to an abrupt halt. They all stared with enormous eyes at the scene before them. Jaws dropped and numerous outbursts of shock resonated through the entire hallway.

_About time someone noticed that there was an intruder. I'm afraid that time was too late though. Idiots. Absolute, unbelievable, blundering idiots! _Psyche seethed. With that last thought in mind, she finally succumbed to exhaustion.

"What do we do now?" One of the men asked hesitantly.

"We take them, obviously," Another individual claimed. "You!" He pointed at one of the newer members of the guard. "Take Psyche and return her to her quarters. And you…" he pointed at another man. "Go, find the Doc and get him to Psyche!"

The two men saluted and dashed to complete their assignments. The rest of them simply stood around Jaez' corpse, unaware of yet another grim presence among them. Hovering in his usual dematerialized form, Death watched as the men debated who would take Jaez out of the corridor. One of the braver men finally stepped forward and picked up her still-warm-but-lifeless body. They all filed out and Death loyally followed his fallen friend. He wouldn't take her soul, but he could do nothing about returning the life that had left her. The hours passed by and the sun began to show along the horizon. He kept Jaez companionship as long as he could; numerous lives were spared that night as Death took a break from his duties to make sure she wouldn't wake alone. If she woke up at all. Morning's bleak rays shone through the window of the room the men had temporarily place Jaez in.

"dawn." Death's whispery voice broke the unnatural silence. "i should not stay much longer…it will be best if i leave…" He turned to Jaez' body. "i will make sure that you do not stay here, my dear…i will inform you brother…he will know how to bring you back…"

With those words, his phantasmal form vanished.

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a/n: Well, let me know what you think people! I'm a bit disappointed at the lack of reviews! Lol Just kidding

I should have the next chapter up soon, so don't go anywhere! :D


	8. Home Life

A/n: Tada! Chapter 8! OMG! I'm not sure just how much writing I'm gonna be able to get in over the next few months! I'm moving into one of the university dorms on Sunday and then starting classes the following Thursday! O.o Hopefully I'll be able to make some time for writing but who knows how college-life is gonna treat me lol wish me luck! :P

Disclaimer: Tekken = Not mine v.v

**Chapter 8: Home Life**

Shrieks of contented laughter were the first thing that Verity heard the morning after she had arrived in Japan. The sun glinted through the crack between the two dark blue drapes that adorned the window and it's rays reached her closed eyelids. Slowly, Verity pulled the warm sheets away from her and sat up in bed.

"My goodness….How can those kids be so loud?" she wondered as she rubbed her sleepy eyes. "And this early?"

She looked at the clock on the nightstand and realized that it wasn't early at all.

"What?" she gaped at the glowing numbers of the digital face. "Eleven thirty A.M!"

All of a sudden she felt the need to jump out of bed and get out of the room. Verity couldn't believe that she had slept in so late. What would her hosts think of her sleeping so freaking much! Afraid of being marked as a lazy-ass, Verity dug through her still-packed suitcase and found a change of clothes for the day. As soon as she had put them on and fixed her wild mane of hair, she almost dashed out of the bedroom. Descending the stairs, she heard Julia trying to calm down one of her sons.

"Enough, Kenji!" Julia half-laughed, half-scolded. "You'll wake up Verity!"

The year-old toddler let out another peal of laughter and his twin brother quickly responded with the same sound. Verity stopped at the foot of the stairs and dared a peek around the corner. Across the room, Jin was holding Kaleb and he, like Julia, was trying to get the boy to settle down. Verity laughed as she saw the twins trying to wriggle out of their parent's arms. She stepped out into sight and laughed.

"What did you feed them this morning? A bowl of sugar?" Verity said outright, with a smile on her lips. All four individuals turned to look at her and the kids seemed to simmer down for a moment.

"Verity!" Julia exclaimed. She hoisted up Kenji so that she could more easily hold him. "Oh my…they woke you up didn't they?"

"Just a tad," Verity responded as she watched Jin being mercilessly attacked by his overly-excited son. The sight was inexplicably amusing. "Well?" She continued through fit of laughter. "Did you or did you not feed them straight sugar?"

"No," Jin responded with a smile as he sat down on the couch and set Kaleb down in his lap. "And I would not like to know what catastrophe could possibly ensue if we did."

Verity laughed and continued, "And speaking of food. What's for breakfast?" She clapped her hands together and grinned.

"Don't you mean, lunch?" Jin retorted with a smirk.

Julia smiled, "There's some food in the kitchen, on the stove. Just stick it in the microwave and you should be good for _brunch_."

Verity nodded and made her way into the massive kitchen where she found her brunch. After reheating a plate, she wandered back into the living room and took a seat in the recliner. She propped her feet up on the coffee table and began to chow down. It was surprisingly difficult to eat as she kept giggling through bites. Kaleb and Kenji kept trying to break free of their parents' grips. They desperately wanted to go greet their new visitor and seemed about ready to stop at nothing until they had done so. In that moment, the doorbell rang and, with some difficulty, Julia managed to get to the door.

"Lars!" Julia exclaimed in surprise.

"Hi Julia." Jin's uncle stood at the door and almost instantly began to chuckle. "It looks like you've really got your hands full today."

"You can say that again," she smiled. "Come in!" She stepped aside and Lars made his way into the living room. The boys let out another squeal as their grins widened. They looked ready to charge at their uncle.

"Hey kiddos! How's life treating you?" He rubbed Kenji's head and then did the same to Kaleb. Lars glanced at Verity, who was trying to swallow the last bit of food that was in her mouth. "Hey! Verity! Long time no see." He walked over and reached to shake her hand.

"Hey Lars! Yeah, definitely long time," she grasped his hand.

"What brings you around, Lars," Jin said as Kaleb tried to turn around in his arms.

"Not much really. Just felt like dropping by. It's my day off and I don't have much to do, so I decided to come and see what you guys were up to. There's never a dull day around here," he sat down on one of the couches.

"I have no problem believing that," Verity commented.

Before anyone else could continue with the conversation, a sudden dreadful feeling overpowered the previously cheerful atmosphere. The twins instantly fell silent and Jin grew pale. Verity felt the hairs on her neck stand on end as chills ran through her spine.

"What was that?" she said, trying to rub warmth into her arms. "Jin you look like you've been dunked in a pool of ice-water."

"I have a _really_ bad feeling," Jin said in a low voice.

"Well, isn't that the understatement of the century," Lars claimed.

Out of the corner of her eye, Verity barely caught a glimpse of vague movement. She turned her head to get a better view and shrieked.

"Oh hell! What the fuck is that?" She pointed at a sudden distortion in the air.

Everyone spun around and the distortion slowly took on a more solid form. The thing's billowing cloak swayed around it was clearly hovering in the air. No one moved. Not even the recently over-excited twins. It was clear that this being had left them terrified. Not even the demons from the previous year could match the abysmal sensation that had overtaken them. The wraith-like creature turned to face in Jin and Lars' direction. Then suddenly, it spoke. Or rather, it whispered.

"you are family of my beloved reaper, are you not?" The apparition faintly gestured in the men's direction.

Jin and Lars quickly glanced at each other and then back at the ghost.

"What?" They said in unison.

"reaper's family," it repeated.

Jin didn't know what this thing was but apparently it knew his sister.

"I'm her brother," he said, "Who the hell are you?"

Julia and Verity stood aside speechless. The twins were watching the creature with a surprisingly calm curiosity.

"i am death."


	9. Shattered

A/N: OMFG! I haven't updated since like…..last year! :O OTL

I feel so bad :'( Sorry! College is unbelievably hectic!

Disclaimer: Namco Bandai owns Tekken…and since, unfortunately, I don't own Namco Bandai, Tekken isn't mine either

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**9 Shattered**

"Did it just say that it was…death?" Verity whispered anxiously at Julia.

"I…I think so," Julia replied weakly, still unable to believe it.

"Death?" She heard Lars question as look of incredulity overtook his face.

"You can't be Death," Jin suddenly spat. "Death is no sentient being."

The hooded figure didn't move at the sentiment and instead opted to pretend he hadn't heard Jin as he continued with his previous train of thought. Death didn't feel the need to explain anything to Jin or anyone else. If they believed him then great, but if not, he didn't care. They would realize the truth eventually.

"i am in need of your assistance, resurrector," the wraith continued. "I have come in hopes that you may have a way to save reaper."

Although it seemed as if his mind was screaming at him, telling him that Death was not real, Jin felt his heart tell him otherwise. In that moment, the recalled a conversation he had with his sister last year. She had claimed that _"Death would not be so unkind as to take me before my time." _Only now did those odd words finally make any sense.

"She wasn't kidding with me was she?" he whispered to himself as his head lowered slightly. Then the true "reaper's" words hit home. Jin's head snapped up. "Wait. Save her? You want me to _save_ her?"

"yes. she has placed herself in a precarious situation. A situation that could have been avoided had she not been so thick-skulled as to ignore countless warnings and threats that were been presented to her."

Jin's mind instantly jumped to the night those strange men had confronted him and Jaez near the bay. They had said something about…

"The NorthHouse?" Jin questioned, the queasy feeling in his stomach had become a painfully ominous knot.

"yes." Came the one word response.

"What happened?"

"she became engaged in a terribly fierce battle upon arriving at the northhouse. the assassin was surprisingly adept but jaez had the upper hand. in fact she had the upper hand throughout the entire battle, but alas, a well-timed maneuver left jaez incapacitated. to everyone in that compound, she is dead," Death summarized in his low voice.

Gasps filled the room.

"What?" Julia was horrified.

"She's gone and gotten herself killed again?" Verity said rather heartlessly. Julia was taken aback by her friend's cold comment.

"Verity!" Julia exclaimed. "I know you've never really taken to her but how can you say that?"

"What?" Verity shrugged with a slight twinge of regret. "I'm sorry, but I call it like I see it."

"But you haven't taken her soul yet, have you Death?" Jin said through clenched teeth.

"no," It stated simply. "as strange as it may seem to you, she means too much to me. i can not bear to think of how lonely my existence would become once again if i were to no longer have her understanding nature. i know that she is not slated to live forever but i will not deprive myself of her companionship before the end of her natural life." The phantom-like immortal reasoned. "I also know that you have the power to save her…resurrector."

Death continued to watch Jin's expression, which went from shocked and disbelieving to angry and resolute. No one said anything for several moments. Not even the twins had made any noise throughout the entire ordeal, they were still nestled in one of their parent's arms.

"Where is this NorthHouse, Death?" Jin said with a firm resolution in his voice. He was going to have to get Jaez out of the mess she'd gotten herself into.

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A/N: I know this is a short chapter but I figured I'd better get something out there for all those of you who have been waiting since, what...September? o.o Thank you all so much for waiting patiently!

I'm finally out on summer break so I'll be able to get a hell of a lot of writing done! :D

Maybe even finish this fic!


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